Cook’s WWE NXT Review 10.27.26

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for the latest edition of WWE NXT on the CW! Halloween Havoc is on Saturday, and tonight we’ll find out the finalists for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Jackson Drake has the North American Championship, and he’ll defend it against EK Prosper. We’ll also see Chantel Monroe take on Lizzy Rain and some other Orlando-based shenanigans, should be a good time!

If you already subscribe to the 411MANIA Wrestling Newsletter, earlier today you received some of my thoughts on WWE’s Saudi Arabia plans, Tony Khan’s happiness with Skydance & Ric Flair getting right back on the saddle. If you don’t already subscribe, do so right now! Yes, before we get to the show because if you’re like me you won’t remember to do this a minute from now.

Cook’s WWE NXT Review 10.27.26

Then. Now. Forever. Together!

We’re in Orlando! Vic Joseph & Booker T are our hosts and we’re getting right to the action!

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final Match: Romeo Moreno & Noam Dar vs. The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes w/Myka Lockwood): Dar needed ten staples to the head over the weekend after an interaction with his opponents tonight. He’s got his head wrapped up like Ted DiBiase facing Ric Flair in 1985 Mid-South. Smokes knocks Moreno off the apron and goes right after Dar. Combo dropkick/spinebuster gets two. Baylor in now, hits some punches and misses a kneedrop. Tag to Moreno, double stomp to Baylor’s back, then some punches. Vic announces that next week’s NXT will air on Wednesday night due to election coverage. Bionic elbow by Moreno. Smokes in, an elbow for him. Dar tags in, hits a shining wizard for two. Dar’s bandage is removed, he tosses Smokes outside. Double suplex to Baylor. Smokes sends Dar head-first into the steps, which Vic tells us caused the injury to begin with. Moreno dives off the top rope onto Baylor & Smokes. Moreno checks on Dar as we go to Non-Stop NXT.

Moreno & Baylor go at it on the floor, Moreno with the advantage and he goes after Smokes too before Baylor attacks from behind. Tag to Smokes as Moreno is isolated and Dar is still down on the floor. Rear chinlock by Smokes. An elbowdrop gets two for Smokes as Dar re-appears on the apron. Running shoulderblock and a big boot get two on Moreno. Baylor goes to the rear chinlock.

Moreno still getting his chin locked as we go back full screen. While that’s going on, Grayson Waller has his phone with him and is outside Tony D’Angelo’s house! Smokes with a shoudlerblock, Baylor tossed to the floor, Moreno does some gymnastics and tags Dar. Dar with some kicks, rolls Smokes up for two. German suplex by Dar, Dar punches Smokes down for a two count. Moreno tags in, double kick and double slam gets two on Smokes. Dar goes for the Tower of London, Smokes breaks it up and yanks at Dar’s staples! Baylor in, he gets put in a cross armbreaker by Dar and breaks it with a rollup for two. Smokes spears Dar, Baylor hits a suplex into a neckbreaker for two. Moreno breaks up the double team and Dar rolls Baylor up for two. Ankle lock by Dar, Moreno locks one on Smokes and they both get out. A miscommunication by Baylor & Smokes, but Moreno gets elbowed down and Dar gets backbroken. The Hit it & Quit it gets two after Romeo breaks up the cover on Dar. Vanity Project takes control, Moreno gets knocked to the floor, but Baylor follows him and gets Northern Lights suplexed on the floor! Dar goes to an ankle lock with a grapevine, Smokes rolls them outside. Myka misses Noam with a clothesline, Smokes rolls him up for two in the ring. Moreno & Baylor tag in, Moreno with the missile dropkick, strike in the corner, Moreno tries to lift Baylor up, Dar lifts Smokes, a double DVD gets the two count. Moreno goes for the tag, Dar is yanked off the apron. Baylor & Smokes go for their finish on Moreno, Moreno counters & Baylor is rocked! Smokes gets hit with a legsweep/elbow strike combo for the three count!

Winner: Romeo Moreno & Noam Dar (14:10 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***1/2
I was expecting this to be a fun match and it delivered. Moreno & Dar are on quite the roll and their winning the Dusty Cup wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

Moreno & Dar will face the winners of the other semi-final next Wednesday.

Tony D’Angelo tells Robert Stone he’ll mess Grayson up if Grayson does anything to his family. Tony storms out and Robert tells the camera man to follow him.

Cruz Montana says that the worst part of last week wasn’t the embarrassment or getting arrested or Dion Lennox thinking he got one up on him. It was the fact he went back to that dark place for a second. He wasn’t the man he’s become, he was the man he’s spent years keeping buried away. Dion’s hands got that out of him, when Cruz gets his hands on Dion there’s no one that will be able to pull him away. The worst thing Dion could have done was bring his family into it. His past will become Dion’s future.

Lizzy Rain vs. Chantel Monroe: No entrance for Chantel? That’s pretty disrespectful. Chantel isn’t impressed with the metal. Chantel gets an early advantage and talks some trash. Lizzy sends Chantel down as EK Prosper is seen warming up backstage. Headscissors out of a headlock takeover by Lizzy, Lizzy takes Chantel over with a headlock and Chantel with the headscissors. Headlock by Lizzy. Running shoulderblock by Lizzy, then a spinning heel kick gets two. Chantel misses in the corner, Lizzy with an enziguri. Chantel takes Lizzy down and hits the Mr. Perfect neck snap for two. Lizzy with a backslide, then a springboard elbow and a suplex. Chantel rolls to the apron, knees Lizzy and neckbreaks her on the middle rope for two. We go to commercial!

Lizzy fights back as we return, but Chantel hits a neck breaker and a running knee strike for two. Lizzy sends Chantel into the corner. Chantel goes for that neckbreaker again, Lizzy breaks it and joins her on the apron. Lizzy drops her with a facebuster on the apron, then clotheslines her a couple of times back in the ring. Deadlift suplex by Lizzy, she makes it rain with chops in the corner. Chantel gets suplexed and spinebusted by Lizzy. Chantel elbows her way out of a move, Lizzy rolls up Chantel, Chantel rolls through and grabs the rope for the three count!

Winner: Chantel Monroe (5:50 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
Booker kept talking about Chantel’s lackadaisical covers during the match, but the last one seemed to do the job! I thought Lizzy did a good job of making Chantel look good here, I think Chantel has a ton of potential but she’s still a while away from being ready for the top of the NXT women’s scene or the main roster.

Izzi Dame tells Zaria she knew her mask would slip eventually, but she didn’t think it would be this soon. All Zaria knows how to do is hide. Zaria thought fighting everyone around her would make her untouchable. She went to NXT and made a friend, who tore down all off her walls. Izzi will force Zaria to face all the demons she’s been running from, the loneliness & the insecurity, and will take the one thing she has left.

Saquon Shugars vs. Sean Legacy: Shugars goes to work right away and tells Legacy to come on. Legacy takes Shugars over but Shugars shoulderblocks him down. Another shoulderblock by Shugars, Legacy with an arm drag, another one and then a back drop and body slam. A standing moonsault by Legacy gets two. We go to commercial!

Legacy fights back as we return, Shugars with a snap mare & a chinlock. During the commercial Legacy got dropped off the top rope. Shugars hits a kitchen sink knee and pulls the strap down. Backbreaker into a flatliner gets two. Legacy ties to fight back with chops. Some reversals, both guys hit big kicks and end up down. Legacy with some strikes as we see Hank & Tank warming up. Legacy with a kick in the corner, then the Sliced Bread gets two on Shugars. Shugars evades a moonsault, lifts Legacy up, Legacy gets out, after some jockeying he hits a reverse brainbuster for two. Springboard 450 gets knees, Shugars hits a torture rack bomb for a two count. Legacy’s foot finds the ropes. Shugars goes up top, Legacy knocks him off, Shugars slips out of a superplex, some reversals, Legacy hits a standing Spanish Fly for the three count.

Winner: Sean Legacy (6:23 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
This one was kind of rough. Two different styles here, with Legacy wanting to fly around and springboard all over the place while Shugars is more basic and grounded. It didn’t seem like they gelled well together, hopefully it’ll go better the next time.

Tony arrives at his house and gets a phone call from Grayson, who’s already flown the coop and is at his favorite restaurant instead.

Myles Borne & Tavion Heights are WALKING! They’ll go face to face next.

Kam Hendrix wants to show us his basketball skills since he’s on the sideline for Halloween Havoc and he’s not getting title shots like EK Prosper.

In the ring, Myles & Tavion are separated by security. The Halloween Havoc wheel is here! They disagree over who security is here to protect. Tavion says he always had Myles’ back but it meant nothing to Myles. Myles only cared about his damn self. Tavion calls Myles a backstabbing bitch who’s looking for someone to blame for his own mistakes. Myles claims that Tavion is the problem. He can do things on his own. He beat Ethan Page for the North American Championship, Tavion couldn’t do it. Tavion hasn’t done anything by himself, which is why he latched onto Myles. Myles gave him the one achievement he’ll ever have in NXT. Myles gave him everything, and Tavion cost Myles everything. Tavion says he thrives under pressure when his back is against the wall. He’s a weapon in human form, a god of suplexes and an Olympian. Myles says that’s the only thing that keeps him relevant around here, Tavion says he’s exactly who he says he is, and this will be an ass-whooping that Myles can actually hear. They try to fight, and we hear the voice of Danhausen. Danhausen commands the druids to spin the wheel.

The wheel lands on…Weapons Wild Match! I assume that means there will be weapons and it will be wild.

DarkState talks about last week. Dion says that all he had to do was push Cruz over the edge and he did it. Robert Stone asks Dion what that was last week. Dion says Cruz just assumed the position when security came out. Stone says he can’t make the match next week, it’ll have to be Unsanctioned. Dion says he’ll send Cruz’s sorry ass back to rock bottom.

Tony is walking through a kitchen looking for Waller. Apparently he knows everybody that works here, must be a regular NXT place. Tony is told that Grayson left, and there’s a note for him. The note tells Tony to meet Grayson where it all started. What is this, a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt?

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final Match: El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger: Dr. Wagner Jr. is in attendance to see his sons! Galeno & Hank start. Hank with a headlock, a shoulderblock moves Galeno a little bit. Headlock by Galeno. Tank tags in, he & Hank gets shoulderblocked by Galeno. Wagner tags in, Galeno drops him on top of Tank for the two count. Wagner with some punches to Tank before getting clotheslined down. Hank splashes Wagner in the corner, then applies a rear chinlock. Robert Stone tells Jackson Drake & his friends there can’t be any outside interference during his match with EK Prosper. Tank & Hank both end up outside, Galeno backdrops Wagner onto them! Cover on Hank by Galeno gets two. We go to commercial!

Hank fires away on Wagner as we return, Tank & Galeno tag in and Galeno runs over both his opponents. Splashes in the corner, some clotheslines to Hank. Slam to Tank. Hank gets slammed on Tank. Galeno splashes both men, covers for two. Wagner back in, Hank & Tank hit a big double team move on him for two. Galeno clotheslines and slams Hank & Tank on the floor. Wagner dives onto Hank, Galeno splashes Tank off the apron! Wagner suplexes Hank in the ring. Wagner hits the best moonsault ever, Galeno hits a frog splash for two. Tank made the save. They face off, Hank gets headbutted, Tank clotheslines Galeno down. Wagner with some superkicks, Hank hits a Bossman slam on Wagner, then Hank & Tank run over Galeno. A pair of splashes by Hank & Tank on Galeno get the three count!

Winner: Hank & Tank (7:20 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
Some interesting booking in this tournament for sure. After doing nothing ever since I started reviewing this show, Hank & Tank are now a top-notch tag team. As I said, interesting. Wagner & Galeno’s NXT trips haven’t exactly gone well for them, must be part of paying their dues.

Hank & Tank face off with Moreno & Dar by the Dusty Cup. I wonder if anybody had that finals in their bracket pool.

Kelani Jordan had some words with Adam Pearce last night on Raw. Adam said he’ll be watching her match at Halloween Havoc. IYO SKY enters and says that Kelani is so different now. Kelani says she’ll beat everyone when she gets called up, including the Genius of the Sky. IYO doesn’t seem pleased.

Kendal Grey says Kelani is dead and she can’t handle all of this pent up aggression. Wren Sinclair tries to calm her down and promises to bring the Women’s Championship back to the WrenQCC.

Next Wednesday: Dar & Moreno vs. Hank & Tank! Cody Rhodes will be here, as will John Cena! (I likely won’t be, got work most Wednesday nights.)

Zilla Fatu makes his way to the wheel! Sarah Schrieber is here to talk to him about how he wants the wheel to decide Charlie Dempsey’s fate. Zilla says there’s no such thing as BirthRight and talks about Fatu things when Ariana Grace comes out and says that he’d be nothing without his last name. Zilla says he’s the main one, then a druid attacks him from behind! BirthRight were Danhausen’s druids! Uriah Connors hits Zilla’s hand with a shovel!

Shiloh Hill is still trying to figure out how to combat the mist. Orange is quite the trip. He went to the old books & got some new lab equipment. He might have to use a haz mat suit. He’s been learning how to be the person delivering the mist, and he tells Naraku to bring all the mist he wants.

NXT North American Championship Match: Jackson Drake (c) (w/Vanity Project) vs. EK Prosper: EK already got in the ring while Zilla was getting his hand smashed with a shovel. EK flips out of a snap mare and gets slapped. Ek goes for a backslide, flips out, Drake with a rana, EK lands on his feet and hits a rana of his own. Slam by EK, then a moonsault gets one on Drake. Headscissors & headlocks are exchanged. Drake kicks EK, misses in the corner and eats an enziguri. Flying clothesline by EK, and Vanity Project pulls Drake out of the ring only to get dove on by EK. Myka holds EK’s leg, and Drake tosses EK hard into the bottom rope. We go to commercial!

EK with some punches to Drake as we return. EK with a big clothesline. Some strikes from EK, then a superkick. Springboard moonsault and a tornado DDT by EK get two. Drake avoids a shining wizard, hits a hot shot and a front kick for two. Drake with some Yes kicks. EK blocks one and chops away at Drake. A rollup gets two. Roundhouse kick by EK gets two. Drake holds on but gets chopped. Drake with a forearm, kick by EK, Drake hits a reverse Spanish Fly and then a Lethal Injection for the two count. Drake heads up top, EK follows him. Drake knocks EK off, but EK ranas him and hits a shining wizard! Baylor & Smokes get knocked off the apron. Poision rana by EK, he goes up top and Myka distracts the referee! Kam Hendrix comes down and knocks EK off the top rope! Drake hits the Busiaku knee and gets the three count!

Winner: Jackson Drake (8:46 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
Some darn good in-ring action here and I can’t wait to see how these guys matchup a few years from now with more seasoning. EK has been given a lot of opportunities lately and keeps doing well with them, it probably won’t be long before he has some type of a championship here.

Kam continues yelling at EK from ringside.

Grayson Waller is WALKING! We’ll hear from him next!

Zaria tells the parking lot paparazzi that Izzi Dame doesn’t know a damn thing about her, and we’ll see what she does to her at Halloween Havoc.

Halloween Havoc: Zaria vs. Izzi! Zilla vs. Charlie! Myles vs. Tavion! Naraku vs. Shiloh! Kelani vs. Wren! Grayson vs. Tony!

Next Wednesday: Dusty Cup Final! Cruz vs. Dion Unsanctioned! John Cena!

Vic & Booker talk about how it’s going to be on like neckbone and how Grayson Waller may have crossed the line by going near Tony D’Angelo’s house.

Grayson Waller makes his way to the ring. Grayson has always been one step ahead, and he’s only got hungrier while Tony’s gone soft. He drove Tony crazy tonight, and Tony’s future runs through him. The only thing that matters is that he’s the NXT Champion and no one can do anything about it. No one on any roster can touch him on the run he’s on right now.

Tony pulls into the parking lot, and Grayson runs out to meet him. Tony takes Grayson down by a tree, and referees & officials try to pull them apart. They don’t fare very well as our event comes to an end with Tony & Grayson fighting in the back of Tony’s truck. So long for now!

If you’d like to chime in with your own thoughts on tonight’s show, feel free to join your fellow 411 Maniacs down in the comment section! As the legendary Larry Csonka always said: Have fun and don’t be a dick. When I’m not here you can catch me on social media from time to time. To be honest, e-mail is a better option and you can reach me at [email protected]. I’ll be more likely to respond there.

6.7

The final score: review Average

The 411

The go-home show for Halloween Havoc gave some opportunities to those not booked on that show. Jackson Drake & EK Prosper might still need work in some areas but they can get it done in the ring for sure. It was good to see Lizzy back in action and Romeo & Noam continue to be a fun team. Some parts weren't as great, but they could have been worse. Next week should be an interesting one on a different night with some guest stars.